DETECTION OF GENES OF RNA VIRUSES FROM FRESHLY BIOPSIED GASTRIC-MUCOSA BY REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION-POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was perfo rmed to detect genes of RNA viruses in the freshly biopsied gastric mu cosa of seven patients with low gastric acidity. Although nucleoprotei n genes of Sendai virus and hemmaglutinin genes of influenza virus A w ere not detected, nucleoprotein genes of influenza virus B were detect ed in samples from three of the seven patients. The first patient had had antrectomy and vagotomy for gastric ulcer, the second patient was receiving a histamine type 2 receptor blocker for gastritis, and the t hird patient was receiving a proton pump inhibitor for gastric ulcer. Virus isolation from gastric mucosa and from gargles was negative for all seven patients. These findings suggest that genes of influenza vir uses may exist in the gastric mucosa of patients with low gastric acid ity.